Salinas is home in the deepest sense of the word. It is where I grew up, where I learned the value of hard work, and where the people and streets of East Salinas shaped who I would become. I walked the halls of Alisal High School as a student, later stood in front of local classrooms as a teacher and ultimately spent more than 17 years serving this city as a Salinas police officer. I have seen our community at its best and at its most vulnerable.
Today, I continue to serve Salinas by helping families build stability and generational opportunity through my work as a local realtor. My support for bringing a new charter school to Salinas comes from a lifetime of service and belief in this city. I am a product of this community and everything I have achieved is because Salinas invested in me. Now, it is our turn to invest, with courage and intention, in the future of our children.
Over the years, I noticed the difference between kids who have access to strong schools and those who do not. It shows up early and it follows them for life. I saw it on the job, responding to calls involving young people who never got the academic support or stability they needed. I saw it again after I retired and began working in real estate, in places like Carmel and other wealthy communities, where high-quality schools and enrichment opportunities are expected.
When you have money, you have options. You can move. You can choose a different school. You can supplement with tutoring, private lessons and activities that open doors. I was fortunate enough to put my own child in better schools because I had the means to do so. Most families I served as a police officer did not have that luxury. They loved their kids just as much. But they could not simply pack up and chase opportunity across town or across district lines.
That is why we need strong academic options like Monterey County Prep in Salinas.
This is not about ideology or politics. It is about fairness. Families in Salinas and across Monterey County are asking for access to a high-quality public school that already works for students like their children. They are not asking for an experiment. They are asking for a proven model that has the receipts to show their strong outcomes.
Schools like Watsonville Prep, which serves a higher percentage of socioeconomically disadvantaged students and multilingual learners than nearby district schools, yet whose students post stronger reading and math outcomes. Across Navigator Schools, students outperform surrounding districts in both elementary and middle school grades. That does not happen by accident. It happens because of differentiated instruction, support for multilingual learners, dual enrollment opportunities and a belief that all students can succeed.
There are some concerns about how a new charter might affect school districts. I understand that worry, but we should stay focused on what matters most: student outcomes. Families already make hard choices when their children’s needs are not met. Those with means move, transfer or find alternatives. Those without means often stay stuck. Offering another high-quality public school option gives families a reason to stay engaged in public education and keeps opportunity closer to home. When schools produce stronger outcomes for students, especially those with the greatest needs, the entire community benefits.
The families asking for Monterey County Prep are not outsiders. They are parents who live here, work here and raise their kids here. They are advocating for their own children because they want a better path than the one that too often limits opportunity based on zip code. Denying this school does not preserve the status quo. It closes a door that these families are actively trying to open.
I spent years responding to problems after they reached a crisis point. Education gives us a chance to act earlier. Strong schools create stability, opportunity and hope. They reduce the long-term costs that show up in every part of community life.
I stayed in Salinas because I believe in this place. I believe Monterey County can do better for its kids. Approving Monterey County Prep does not take anything away from families. It gives more families access to what many of us already know matters most, a real chance for their children to thrive.
Families should not have to leave their community to find a great public school. Let’s give them that opportunity right here.
Navigator Schools submitted a petition to the Monterey County Office of Education proposing to establish Monterey County Prep as a county-wide TK-12 charter school for a five-year term. The school board is scheduled to act on the petition at Wednesday’s meeting. For more information, visit https://www.montereycoe.org/about-us/board-of-education/board-agendas
David Poulin, Jr. is a longtime Salinas resident, realtor and retired police officer.
